Jordyn's Elephant Cloth

This is what I did during the month of January titled, Circus of Js. The inspiration hit on the eve of the Epiphany with a deadline of January 24th. A companion book was made to go with it and the whole long story of it all is posted on my other Blog, All Norah'S Art.

Just a little daunted by the fact it took me five years to make Tim's Cloth, I was so inspired that I dropped everything and pushed myself. Within days, I'm about to be a first-time Great Grand Mother. 

Josh and Ashley are adding baby Jordyn to the blended family of Joshua, Jalynn, Jazzlyn, Jaclynn, and Jasyk.

And Me, soon-to-be a Great Grand Mother and with the help of nine elephants and their trunks added:

• Jibber and Jabber the chatter bugs
• Jupiter the star gazer
• Jar the milk spiller
• Jelly and Jambo the peanut butter spreaders
• Juggle the milk shaker
• Jogger the memory keeper
• Joy the smile bringer

The whole story in the book includes others. For example there is Jingle and Jangle the bell ringers, Jumper the runner, Jitter the dancer, Jape the joker, Juju the adventure dreamer and Jetty the wall maker. It's a good book made especially for Jordyn the magic maker.
 

One of my favorite pictures reminds me of the dark hours of the early morning when I'm fresh and enjoying the solitude.

The nine patch under Js cloth was my mother's; however, I think it was probably made by one of my grand mothers over 60 years ago.

 Click on the book to read the story.

Elephant blanket I made for Ashley 26 years ago.

The Finish

Dear Timothy,

Your cloth is finished!

I was trying my best to finish by the end of August. So I guess going over two days is good enough. I did my best. 

Your cloth turned out quiet large. As a matter of fact I had a hard time getting photos of the whole cloth. Turns out the only place that worked was in the Garden Palace on the parlor floor around noon.

Green Moons Forest

Around the big green moon

Dragoneosorus

dra-gone-o-so-rus

On the Back

Corners

Timothy, as with many of my big projects, at the very end and when all is finished and done, I am left without words for a few days. However, I will share here one revelation that merely came to me while trying to get final photos. 

It is about the dueling dragons. It is simple and only you and I will understand. I now recognize their symbolic presence on the backside. They came quietly from the dye pot and when they did, we both knew what they were. But who were they? They are us. You and me. Timothy and Nana. The dueling dragons. 

Dueling Dragons

Dear Timothy,

The log cabin is growing. I now have to piece the shirt strips together to have a piece of the same shirt long enough to add. Slowly but surely I hope to finish this in our lifetime. 

 I really didn't think there would be a story on the backside as I only intended to quilt it to cover the messiness. 

But look! Dueling dragons. I thought that was what they were and I was thrilled when you saw the dye bath splotches and said they looked like dragons. 

Tim, I love that our imagination is "in sync".

Crazy Blue Circle Bird

Dear Timothy,

December a year ago when I stitched that crazy blue circle on this component, I never  thought it was a bird. 

Then, recently while stitching the circle that is not a moon it occurred to me that this section of your cloth is "The Jungle". Now, I don't really know what the difference in a forest and a jungle is but in my mind, I think the jungle is so full of growth that birds and beasts are not as visible and maybe even more abstract. Anyway, that is how they will be in your jungle.

Timothy, what I want you to remember is, things today may be something totally different a year and a half down the road.  

Green Moons

Summer Moon

Dear Timothy,

You've heard about The Man in the Moon, an imaginary human face that some can see in the moon.  Well, the Summer moon in the Green Moons Forest is most certainly not a man.  I think this two headed beast will need a name.  And I'm giving that some thought.

Spring Moon

I finished stitching on the Spring Moon and clouds.  Oh, and guess what Timothy?  I found the missing moon.  I guess at the moment that I hid it from myself, it was a good place to put it. But I did accidentally find it the other day when starting a new project.  The lost moon will become the Autumn Moon and the cloud was still attached to it.  But guess what Tim, the cloud looks a whole lot like the beast breath in the Summer Moon. I'm puzzled about that.   

Two Headed Dragoneosorus

Dragoneosorus Breath

Two headed Dragoneosorus on the moon.

The Beast With Spots

Dear Timothy,
Last Wednesday, I took a day off and met up with Aunt Paula, Aunt Sue, and cousin Diane.  Sue and Paula are Granny's girls and she taught them to quilt too. Sue is Diane's Mother.  Paula lives in Oklahoma and was down for a visit.  Diane is learning to quilt so Paula is giving her a lesson on "The Texas Star" quilt.  Sue is holding a section that she has started. 

They are into what I call a contemporary method of traditional quilting.  

I'm not sure that they "get" my kind  of cloth making.  But they do really like this one that I'm making for you. While I was there I started adding the spots to The Beast. 

I guess you could say now, The Beast is no longer a burden to me. I like him now and with a few more stitches, he will be done.

Do you think I got carried away with his spots?  

Chatter In My Head

Dear Timothy,
I am making progress on this green moon and cloud.  Almost done. I have found that stitching relaxes me and helps to clear the chatter in my head.  And while that is going on, I do wonder if my Granny and Big Mama, your great, great grandmothers, found quilting and stitching relaxing. Or did they do it totally out of necessity?  I wonder.

Your beast is getting spots and I'm getting very close to finishing the big moon.  
♥

Mr Dragoneosorus

Dear Timothy,
Not until I picked out that silly little black beast that was taunting me on center stage, did I see the cute little creature heads hiding in the red moon tree that I added last week to the summer side of the moon.  Yes, I knew they were there. I saw their eyes and gave them pupils.  But I did not know what they were nor did it ever occur to me that one lived on the big moon.  I know. It should have. And now I'm certain the trees in the forest are indeed a reflection of the trees that stand on the edge of the moon.

It all makes perfect sense to me now.  Nothing ever happens before it is time. Believe that.

Turns out, that silly little black beast was just a "place holder".  You know, reserving the spot for me.  Making me wait until it was time.  When the time was right and I knew that little creature had to go, I had no problem at all removing him and the whole while I was doing it, I wondered why I had left him on there so long. 

Then I turned the cloth in my lap.  My eye caught sight of a little red head hiding in the red moon tree.  The eyes that I added made sense to me now or I should say, "they spoke to me". 

Meet Mr Dragoneosorus (Dra-gone-o-so-rus).  Timothy, the story is unfolding.  It is about a bird, a beast, and a dragoneosorus who can be seen on the big green moon.

But don't forget Timothy and believe that nothing ever happens before it is time. 
xo
Nana

The Beast Is Gone

Remember him?

He's gone!

I could never get comfortable with him on center stage. 

I tried.

So, this afternoon I picked him off.

Not until he was totally gone did I finally have inspiration for his replacement.

I'm stitching now. 

One Feather

I stitched Sunday the 7th.

In the chair zone all day.

A tree was added to this forest after the connection was made.

And then, just a lot of straight stitching...

and one feather.

About the beast, they don't really feel like "me".

This one had a face change and is more to my liking.

I'm still undecided about all the beast.  I have to keep in mind that the reason I was adding them is because this is Tim's cloth and he would like them; however, at the same time, it has to feel like me.  I can't remove these central beast but should I add more, they will feel like me.....

Forest Components

 The forest grew over the weekend.  I made the connection.

 And also made another tree corner component, stitched it and connected it too. 

And then I made these beast with Inktense. I'm unsure at this point if I will add them to the cloth or not. I've become bored with stitching for now and will fold it up for  a while. 

Maybe. That's how I deal with the edge of a decision. 

Back away.

I ordered some Harem Cloth as recommended by Jude to use as backing cloth behind my woven components; however, I've not yet decided if I like it for the backing cloth. It is true, it stitches like butter. That I like about it. But I found it hard to rip and get same sizes. It doesn't hold its shape as well as I would like. And for my purpose, it is a little too thin. I'm using the backing cloth as the middle of the sandwich between the design layer and backing layer. 

To use or not to use.

Another decision to back away from. 

I keep wanting a good black cotton fabric and find none in my stash so yesterday, I found just what I wanted at Walmart. There was a very small amount on the bolt and it was priced at $2.68. But I was charged $3.44.  I questioned the cost but accepted her explanation. 

Now I don't know why.